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^OVA SCOTJ4
PROVINCE HOUSE
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THIRD LECTURE, PROTESTANT ALLI.AirCl,
OP NOVA SCOTIA.
PRICE RWR-PEHCI.
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PROTKSTANT ALLIANCP: LECTUUES.
THE PAPACY:
THE SACEIPICE Of THE MASS»
THIRD LECTURE,
DELIVERED T^EFORE THE PROTESTANT ALLTANCE,
OP NOVA SCOTIA.
AT TEMPERANCE HALL. HALIFAX. ON TUESDAY EVSNINO,
fANUALY lltU, 1809.
I V
A^
B-Sr REV. "W. a. B^'KHSTN-ON-.
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HALIFAX, N. S.r
PRINTED AT THE WE8LEYAN CONFERENCE STEAM PRESS.
1859.
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THE SACRIFICE OF THE MASS.
ir/ REV. w. c. m'kixnon.
We are met to consiaor, not the errors of the Church of Home talc}!! as a whole, but rather to gaze on one particular feature of that gigantic f^ystem, boiuing the name of " Tub l*Ai»ACY." Did one holy influence proceed from that HyHteni — Jid one ray of God's own light mingle with the darkness which envelopes the Man of Sin— were one stream of the fwdi' of life mingling with the great current of Papal abomi- nation—I question if I should be found engaged under these circumstances. But the whole system is corrupt : the stream is tainted, the darkness is without any mixture of light ; and I feel myself in my approjmate place to-night, when attempt- ing to delineate the evils of that great system of error and misrepresentation.
It has been said that the devil can counterfeit, but that he cannot invent. So is this true of the Papacy : she can coun- terfeit— she cannot invent. She has moulded herself on the €hurch of Christ, and is yet a cheat and a deception.
It were a pitiable object to see a giant pelted — yet put- ting forth efforts for his deliverance worthy of a giant. With what commiseration would we be disposed to regard the Titan, who thus should make eflR^rt after effort to arise fi-om the earth, and not be successful.
Such is the pitiable condition of the Redeemer's Church. She is making a giant effort to throw off the incubus of that
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»jsiQm wfiii-Ii hiiH fwen rreatwl hy Satanic rnnnlng (luring tFic hw^ agoH of tho past. Will sUa hi Hum'w-fiil ? SImll i^r «oo the Nolutioii of the Yvohlau, V .Shall wo »K)h«ld that day wh^Ji whe Hhall .stand toilh a.s the tiiuinphant vicl.u «\er jior advei-saiy, now grasping li«i «.m unothev Lriofooii? 'finio givo« Iho reply.
All Ih daiki»ei).s whore IFn' Cluir»,Ii hiw< iM>t lit l»er tonh. The eart'ii witlKml tlie light of eluistiaoitj, w ax U»rk«rf Home heraoif.
" Tlie rlouf)Ie nj^'ht </ u^es, anii o* Iicr Ni|;lit'.s tluu;;)it(>r I^'norniu-o, hiitli wrap* ami wriij) All round ax : wo but ft't-l our way to err : The (xoan luuh its chart— flic ftsirn fhcir map, ArwT knowlfd^rc Mprcmis them in her ample lap; But Uomo 18 m the desert : where wo Bt*;or Stumhiino; o'tsr rorollcMtions now w<', don Our hands and cry " Kurtlat" it iH clear, Wheu bat swne SUso mirat'e of ruin risoH ncOTr."
Take fi-onv man the light of Christianity, and again the earth 1*8 involved ii> glcwni intenao and intolerable. Wherever moral light has dawned, the liglrt hxxs been shed abroad through the heavenly atmoeplMiro of the Christian Church. Wherever tho stagnant pools of the- deptlis of human thought have been stirred to their fountains, the Chiistiaa Church has strung the plummet. Wherever the gooil sail }»as p^iservcd corrupt humanity from pollution, the Christian Church has sown that salt. Wherever there has been maintained a warfare with error, suixirstition and spiritual death, the Christian Church has maintained that warfare. She Ims euliglitem^d the world and blessed humanity.
Now what shall we say of a system which, pretending to. afford light, has only made the darkness more intolerable. ° Of a system which pretending to lead man to a higher spiritual condition, has only succeeded in wrapping around the humaa
I
'*^I^W>M I I, III,. . _ ^M|||,g||||,^
fNuil thu swiKldliii^ ImmlH of a durknofli m daun an to bo iin|K.'iit' trublo. Uf a HyBtem which pruteiuling tu wage war ^ith thu iioHtH of ilarknoHR, hii^ mado eotnmon cuumo with tho cnt'iny. The ilefuctioii of a legion to tho enemy's camp, ifl not f(»ni [jural lie for evil to tho exiHtenee of ono ^py within that camp. The defection of the fint miglit bo deplored : but it could bo remedied. Hut tho cvil« wrought by tho otlicr could rot be remediijd ; tho results mnut flow on uncontrolled. ThuH Htuiidn llomo the great impediment to tho Hpread of tho llcdeomer's Kingdom.
Tho light which has hcan refracted and broken from stained glass is still light. Tho rays which have transpierced tho dim clouds, are still rays of the solar fire. But the light which falls u|K»ti the planet, is only reflected from that side of tho planet which is nearest to tho sun. Wo all may remem- ber Milton's lovely image of tho cloud which turned her silver lining to tho moon — and whilst all is daik below, all is light above. But with Home, if tho light bo shed upon her from above, it is absorbed in her. She neither presents light to Gotl, as being recei'/ed from him- — nor to man, as conmiuni- catod. The system is darkness itself. And that darkneas m only rendered the moro awful, when occasionally tho flash of a Massillon's genius or piety, sends its lighti ing ray over tho storm clouds of gathering intense gloom, wliich roll from far in th' valleys below.
It were a revolting sight to gazo on a corpse, which loso, dressed, sat down to table, rose up, knelt in prayer, extended its ghastly hand, walked tho streets, and yet spake not a syllable, but continued a loathsome corpse. Such is Rome. She is a corpse I A mass of spiritual corruption — a giant crushing all that is holy and unearthly down — but retaining tlie pallid face, the ghastly eye, tho skeleton hand, the mute tongue, of one who had emerged from the darkness and corruption of the grave ! But that figure, say you, in a
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wmpiro And what i. . vampirr? That w(>i„(, fi^rf, m. 1.I.KHI ni,,l ,l„Hi„,j,, |„,„^„ ,i„„„, ; ,f „,,, ^ ^^ 1^^
1 u|,a.y won. .,u,m.lK.,l hj, ,),« „pi,i, „,• ,i,-^if ^ ,,^,. ^ __,
w«n, breathed th«r«i.,-theu .ni^ht ,„ !„ brought t,, re,p« t
ha »y„ten. which, »« now exhibited. i« a „... „r,t,nLi
U»d half UrwteiKlom g,,,* over u, infi,U,li.,, it ,„„|,| ,„,» We equ.U«l the evil ,,n,due«d by „,„ e.i^t.,.,™ of „.„ .potato Church-a Ohureh whiei,. while pr..,e„di„g to .,. 'h. »u,.portc. of the roligiou „f J„,™, „„., .^^ ,,„f,„„,„ „f .
en my of Ohr„f.., p an, and the fi.„. ju,,fi„. „f „„ which 18 iiiwnuire^l the IWeemcrs Church.
Sue), i, the t,«ition occupied by the Church of R„,„e you .ook for watCT from the dark cloud which oxpandn above ^.e thir»,y earth, and secia alniu bursting fr.m it» very r<^ pletion and bitter is the nK^keiy on the part of tlied^ eeived watcher as it p„«s „„, «„,, „„„,i„g in pr-xluce, 2o Uie ,.n™,«, „nf„,fi„cj. Th'e traveller efpects to T 'eTI p.rol..l 1,,« wl,™ he ctche, far off in tl Jdaserfn sand he a|;iH,arun~. of the chry.al fo„„t. jji„„ ,„„„, ,,„ ^.^'J^ ationu, find that '.but a mirage mocked his eye." Tl^ .hnnking human .s>ul l«,k,, for sympathy fr>n. the friends to who., bosom he confide, the tale of his L^s. Ho™ !"« gnef, ^ perceive that tale only made the suUrof der.sio„, and that by the frie .ds who loved him bu ^.1 fesion. Andonthis principle we act. What is elct,^ from a Church which gives the promise of truth and ycfm^
rr 1 .^'"""f-''-l.«i.iehp.fessesrg^;e
light and yet gives daikness? What of a Church wS promises salvation, and yet leads men to perdition V Yeit .Rome. Rome, the gra-lual developc.ment of ages of su^r
the weak and the strong. K„me, the result of ceaseless
offi>rt« of tho " mnn of oin " to pcr|M^ttiato hli iin.ip;o in man. Koino, the inii ter-pleccofatan — the opposcr of Chri-it — tho «li forinod mon«t< r of thcttlopy — tho iynii fiitnus which hiis dec«ivc'<l m<n. ll«»rno, the anti-CI Int — tho aiourMCtl, Biblo- flenou!u,M!(l, fue-<loonjL'fl, citadel of tho potentaf43 * wlio wttoth in tho plnco of (ItKi, shewoth hiin.solf that he is '>od."
Wore wo to anticipate our «uhjoct and aak, And when shall thiH sypteni of error bo destroyed 't the reply is, We cannot tell! Wero it not for the unniistakabie language of inspiration — which points dehnit«jly to the |)eri()d in which Homo n'ust inevitably perish — we should not have any banis on which to establish the argument, that the syHttm of tho lloinan hi(»rnr- eh) must perinh. It has survived many a nliock — it has floated yr many a tcnip<-.stu()u.s sea — it haw navigated thfwugi; tho eoovulsioiK^ of tho niodijcval a<;cH — it has gono triumphantly tlirougb the norm of tho Frencl! revolution — and, whon every tlnr)no in Europe rucked — when every king- dom was shaken — she, recoiling like a wounded adder from Napoleon's blow, reared herrclf again, and again hissed forth hoi 'osolating poison, worse a thou.sand times than tho deadly shade of tho U[)as tree, by p»et8 Immortalized- -again deluding tho masses who had for centuries groaned under her serpent- like cunning, or dragon-liko wrath. Sho was great when
Charlemagne bathed his sword in the blood of Italy nho
wa.s great whon Cf^ur do Lion led bis iiiailed squadrons to the walls of Damascus — ihe was graat when Leo X. and Louis XIV. ruled Europe — and even now, when universal scienco and the light of the everlasting Gospel shine from every hill and valley, is she less great than then — we answer, No ! Throned on tlie sea city of Venice, powerful in Italy, ruling tho court of Nap)l"'>n, ^ovoming Mexico, permeating tho masses of Europe, placing b'^r crucifix in front of nearly every American city : we have no proof drawn from her past history or her present position that Home will ever fall. Well might
^^' . II.
iic hLstoiian write Imnmrtnl op her front. Well ml^rht wo
(nagine Homo iini.or.soniliL'(l, and giving the luiughtj answer
io the question, " When, (), mother of harlots, wilt thou
WIV" With one foot on the Vatican, with gne in the pa-
ie of Napoleon, her left hand on Canada, her right enibrae-
,g 3Iexieo— her unhlu.shing brow uplifted to those heavens
/vhieh utterly repudiate her boasted i)retentions ; we can
hear her scornfully replying to such a demand :—
"I ims when your London was «o^— I saw its rise—I will see its overthrow. I was old when the first Norman con- queror crossed the deep, and planted his standard on tho cliffs of England ; u,id I heard the song of Eollo, that i)ealed over the blood-red fiehl of Hastings : I was old when the boasted Anglo-Saxon race was youjig : I saw its rise— 1 will see its fall. When Wesley and Whitefield ran their victorious career, I could point to my Chrysostoms and Cyprians a thou- sand years their elders: when the eagle of 'the American revolution " waved by the white sea foam, " and brooded over the political chaos of the New World, I had numbered twelve centuries; and could retrace my way through revolutions far mightier than tliese, the very recollections of which have been obliterated by the advancing waves of Time. I saw the first mariner who crossed the Atlantic : my arm launched his bark and trimmed his sail, wlien he crossed the then untra-ersed deep of the Atlantic. You ask mc when I shall falV^ T have outlived every other institution, religious and political '• I have survived the storms of empires : I have stood unde- stroyed amid the overthrow of the dynasties of the past-and you ask me when shall I fall ? When the world fails ! Not till then — and noo then.
" When stands the Coliseum Rome shall stand AVhen fulls the Coliseum Rome shall fall ; ' And when Rome falls, the world
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and oven then Rome's religion shall not fall. By what right do you question my right to the name given to that city which is eternal ? By wliat right do you assign to me a place mid feiceues which are merely moi-tal ? By what right do you point to a period in the future hi which it shall be said, * Rome was and Home is not ' — it can never arrive. By God established — by Christ defended — by a policy v hich is not human perpe- tuated, that period shall never amve when the historian, standing on her ruined temples, shall say, ' Rome has fallen.*
' A world is at our feet, as fnigile as our clay.* "
With deep, stern feeling — with intense expectation, the be- liever in revelation turns to the pages of inspiiation ; and says, 1 believe it, because it is written, " Babylon is fuUen." With these words on his lips, he cares nt (tiling foi- tlie boast. " I have lived a thousand years; I sliall live a thousand years «i(0*e." He points with unerriug precision to the day when up to heaven shall ascend the victorious cry, " Babylon — Bahylon is fallen V
It is a painful task to contemplate human frailty — to con- template fallen grandeur — a melancholy feeling is that expe- rienced in looking ovei i-uined Cartliage ancl fallen Hercula- neum, or to gaze on Thebes with her hundred prostrate gates, to blush over scenes of human desolation where once the tide of busy nations ran " in mingled pity or loud raised ap- plause," but infinitely more dii-tressing to the sentimentalist to gaze over fallen Rome, and the wrecked hieraicliy. What a scene! The coliseum in ruins — the " owl« long cry in the Cnesars' palace " — in the Vatican's halls ! AVhere is the hierarchy? Dashed to atoms. "Verily! verily! of that edifice there sliall not be left one stone upon another which shall not be thrown down." Babvlon the ^.reat will fall.
As before observed, our present task will be to delineate this mystery of iniquity, viz : " The Sacrifice of the Mass."
— ~-3HB„
10 To U.t one feature attention i, demanded while .e engage in
Z T' «'r "" »"'■""•■ "f "'" Uoetrine of tl.o Mass III against th'. Doctrine of the Sacrifice of the JVJa«s.
I. It w unnecessary here to enter into arvth\nrr n
examination of the great Wical thoL ? .^ ' '"
Wr. 1 II ° iugicai theme — worship bv saorlfino
- Uiristianitj We shall assume that all present believe in
tenne of the sacrifice of Christ as being true And
^>.a^ the sacrifices which characterized the early ages of o^
^^all procecfto on J^ the l^t T^^^^^^ TI ^' Ud nature of sacrifices and sacrific^::^^^^^ ^'^ '^^^"^^
^ ctyThatr fit' "' V'^ ''^°^^ ^' ~^ -" -^-e 17 '"'"^'"^ ^"^'^ *^««e o^'ered by our first
.parents, immediately after the fnll or^.i T .
> >m Paradl.0 Tf^l. ' "P'^" *^^"' «^P«lsion
>m 1 aradise. If they were eucharistic, then tho sacrifio^ nf
b'hrist was not by them profio-n,,.] f,, 1 • ^"^"^^ ""^
'?4.\ punguiea — tor fyts was pion tiiforv •
•»ne , but as the olinstum doth, Romanist and Protestant ar.
.'■•opaml to admit the last and deny the fir.f ,'''*''"' ""
onee that the saerifi.e of Chri, T ^'":-^'"-'"' "''''">'' "'
theo.re-,tr„,o.t,- 7i. Fopitiatory and atoning;
fe ,J :''™f' »7.«>" there be ,nore than one s„eh ^1
offering la ,! ,' ™'"""' """'■• ^""^ '« Christ's one
So™ aJd .^"''■^'^'1"^»">-- ^iomanists answer-^any
S n^v Zt """■ f '"'""' ^""^— - "-t do- many sacnUces pncecl., the oiTering of the Kedeemer,
11
can it ho shown that one Qverfolhtved him V Since then the soul looks to his finished, offering as perfecting them forever who behove, with the tcnnination of Patriarchal ages, camo the mtrodnction of the J(,wish or Lovitical system. Its eliarac- ter remained the same : typical of a coming Christ, who should bo an offering for sin— altars were erected— fire was kmdled-blood flowed-victimswere slain— priests were esta- bhshed— and these prefigurutive of the introduction of a sys- tem which should have fo-iis central point - the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
We shall not dwell upon the objections which are marshal- led by the shallow defenders of natural religion against the divmo mstitution of sacrificial worship. Sufiice for our pre- sent argument that the word usually translated " sin" in Gen. iv, 7, '' if thou doest not well, stn lieth at the door" should bo read " a sin offering coucheth before thy door"— (a iamb) which alters the meaning of the passage altogether. Every Hebrew scholar will admit that such is the corre°ct ren- dering of the term which moans, according to the
construction of the Hebrew, a " sin offering.'' Thus then wo hai^e an express command from God himself to Cain, directing him for sin to make a sin offering. This sufficiently proves the divine origin of sacrifices as propitiatory, and as typical of the sacrifice of Christ. We will not here consider any of the objections. The death of the Holy one to whom spake God the Father in vision, was designed to be a sin offer- ing even from everlasting. The effect produced by the Jirst sacrifice must have been impressive and inspiring. " They who had never seen, but had often Leard of Death as the penalty for man's sin, see for ^he first time the flowing blood of the Slain Lamb offered in sacrifices— and hear the words *' This is to die— this is Death."
We see, almost as soon as the waves recede from the slime of the post-diluvian world, the blood of sacrifices flowino-—
i! •
12
and flowing by Divine oommand. Then we Gnd flacrificoa forming an imjx^raint part of the religion of Judah. Altars were erected— priests were named— victims ))led— men wur- ' slnpjK)d, believed, and were pardoned-and with these Tacts before ns, we dare m.t deny the Divine origin of reliLnous sacrificev. In the fulness of time, Christ the great sin-offer- mg came— his propitiatory character was fully aigued by the prophets, and endorsed by the apostles. Tq Christ as High Priest gave all tlio prophets testimony. - Ho was bruised for our transgiessions— bruisedfor our inf |uities : " again " thou ehalt make his soul a sin offering "•-" if," to use the words of Dr. J. P. Smith " the Scriptures are of any use to mankind " —if they convey any definite sentiments— if we can at all rely upon the meaning of the words— we must believe that the Messiah must devote himself as a voluntary sin offering, as a sacrifice for the sins of men. Of Christ's sacrificial character there can be no doubt." To go further-Daniel explicitly de- clares, that he was cut off for the sins of the people— in refer- ence to this splendid prediction of the Messiah, it is admtted on all hands, that the express mention of the Messiah the Pnnce, excludes all doubt; nd its fulfilment in Jesus of Nazareth not Uss pbinly established. By the agreement of the general description of the 70 weeks with his character when dated from the 7th year of Artaxerxes Longimanus,' terminatmg in the year of his crucifixion, the death of the Messiah is obviously meant by his being cut off— a phraseo- logy which implies - a painful death at the hands of others '' Symington. Tlie design of the atonement manifestly is .hen to ezpiate before God for human sin-that being accomplished It becomes us to inquire— is there a necessity for the repetition of this great sacrifice there spoken of as by Messiah the Prmce-or shall we regard one sacrifice as perfecting them forever who believe? To this Protestants mm,v, m, one sacrifice requires no repetition. The Papacy answers, we must
13
njpcat it daily hy the sacrifice of the Mass. It "becomes onr tesk, with whatever power wo may possess, to show in the second place, that the views held by the Papacy on this sub- ject are incorrect. We shall now dwell upon the history of the doctrine of the Mass.
n. The Doctrine of the Mass. Many of our hearers tave read the, descriptions of the ghosts in Macbeth, — you «all after them, but there ia no reply. So with the creations of Papal Ri>me,-— you call after them, but there is no reply. A phantom is made to pass over the stage. We ask, whence dost thou come ? Before a reply can be given, it passes away — and like the baseless fabric of a vision, leaves no wreck be- hind. From whence do we derive the dogma of the Mass ? Let me draw attention to the doctrine, as laid down in the Romish Catechism : —
Q. Is the Eucharist a sacrament only ?
A. No — it is also a sacri.1ce.
Q. What is a sacrifice ?
A. It is a Supreme act of religion due tc Almighty God.
Q. How is this performed ?
A. By offerings made to Him, in token that he is the Sovereign Lord of all things.
Q. In what did the sacrifice of the old law consist ?
A. Chiefly in bloody sacrifices of beasts, which the priests offered in the temple, as figures of Christ's sacrifice on the cross.
Q. In what consists the sacrifice of the new law ?
A. In the voluntary oblation which Christ made to his Eternal Father, by dying on the cross for our redemption.
Q. How have we now any sacrifices of the new law "i
A. By the standing memorial of it in the bkssed Eucharist.
Q. Why do you say that the Eucharist is a pianding memot
rial of Christ's death? 2
I I
• i
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14
.houU ,» ofil.rc.aa.SH ro„,e,„kra„co of bi» pam.u. to tho o,,,! "iL III '■ " " " "'"" '" P"^"™"'' '•" '■'« --fico «f Q- Wlijr is it a continuation of Christ's sacrifice?
manner on the cross, continues to oft.r himself daily th J
ir'7 '" ?, """"^^ ""'"""• '" """ '»™ of "rea,! a^ iAe Mass are t/ie smte. "»:rijice of
Q. Who said tlve first Mass? A. Jc«us Christ. iratei^Sl."-^''*^ '-«»«-*•- Ho
Go?on!r''"" " "'° '"""'"° "^ "'^ '^"'^ "*""' • "^^ ^^
Q. What benefit do wo receive from the Mass ?
A. It ,s a daily application of the merits of Christ, and a
yy laymg before the Father the ,„erits of his «o ' b te" passion. wiiiti
Q. What are the benefits the living receive by if*
A. They are «,.any. It applies tho merit of the Saviour's
passion for tho remission of sin.
Q. Does it help the dead V A. St. Augustine say,,, they
receive thereby more mercy than their sins dLrve ^
ISOG'tt^'^'""" Y^"^ ''^"'^ ^'"'P^'" Napoleon, in
dead .^ r , "• "^"^ "■' """ ''™'' ^«^ '■«' -"'« »f 'he dead .' The reply ,s— " yes— very much. "
In the Catechism of the Council of Trent, we read •-" We
sacrifice with that upon the cross. The victim is one and the same-Jesu, Chri.st. The bloody and the unbloody vetimL st.ll one and the same, and the oblation of the eris i I Iv fenewed n the Euchirkt;^ „,„.-b ■ , ,. ^
»<v jiucnar.stic sacrifice, in oliedience to the com-
iiKind of thii Lord — * Do thw in roiiiemljranoe of mo."^
Honco, tho Mass is tunned by the fatlicrs, an incrucntal or uabloody sacrifice. It is also called latrentical. It 4s aho a» eucharutical sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. It is an impetratory sacrifice, by which wo obtain whatever wo abk. Ik ia also propitiatory.
Throic/rhout tho Latia Church unleavened bread is used at Mass. There is certainly no scriptural warrant im this. There is no evidence to induce us to believe that in tho Lord's Sup- per, during tho Apostolic ages, tlie bread used wjis without leaven. The wafer is made thin and circular, and bears U[)on it either tlic figure of Christ, or tho initials I. H. S. This is the real Christ of tho Church of llome, their Uod and Saviour, and object of worship.
Let mo here narrate a story. It is related by the Rev. Kdward Nangle, in one of his letters addressed to the noto- rious John McHale, Archbishop of Tuam. He says : '* I am personally acquainted with a poor woman in this county who was delivered from Popery in the following manner. A friar one day came into her cabin, and, after the usual salu- tation had passed between them, he called for. a sauce-pan. Placing the vessel on the fire with a little water in it, he took out of his pocket a vessel containing some flour, which ho poured into the sauce-pan, stirring it, as though he were making stir-about. Whea the paste was thickened to the consistency of wax, ho ordered his host to provide him with two smoothing irons ; and having pressed the paste between these instruments, to the thinness of a wafer, lie cut it into round pieces with a pair of scissors, anu then holding up one of the pieces, he said, — '* When I have consecrated it, whoso- ever does not believe it to be the very soul and body, blood and divinity of the Lord Jesus, let him be accursed forever.'* It has been observed, that there is but a step from the sublime to the ridiculous. That step was taken. He broke the spelL
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^ Tho tFiougrit waa m (fremlfiil," said tho woman, '^fiat tho iour ho carried in his |K)ckot, which I saw him \mi\ in a eauce-pan, i^mm out between two Worn, and cut with a sciKsorH, was God, tliat I rcsolvcti never to eutor tlw Chapel again."
The poor woman a<lhore<l to her resoluti^D. RomaniHts. would bo wise to follow her example. ¥or however Dr. McHale, and his more talented Brethren in the ministry, may exhibit superior tmt in tho management of the wafer- idol, and cast a cloud ©f mystery round tho wheaten deity, yot ehetr God is no whit hotter than the friar's. " The work- men made it— therefore it is no God." Hosoa viii. 6.
Tho robes used by tl>o priests during tho Mim, are of five different colors. The diversity dazzles. Wo love to look at tho rainbow —
" That any chilfl of vapor ancf tho swn, Conceived in crimson, cradled in vermiirion. Baptised in molten gold, and swathed in dun."
On the same principle, tho eye loves the butterfly trappings of the prieste, during the Mass. But then, in tho one case we do look on tho paintings of God himself : in the other, only on Dbe tawdry trappings of human binds. White is used on all feasts of our blessed Lord, the Ylrgm—Red, on the Pente- cost—(9rcc/i, on all Sundays from Trinity to Advont— Purple, on all Sundays in Advent— ./?/«</&, on Good Friday, and on aU days when Mass is said for the souls of the dead.' Popish afuthoriaes state that the linen veil, which tho priest puts Ml, represents the veil put on Christ's face in tke house of Caiaphas when th«y smote him. The girdle represents the eojd with which tlKr Saviour was bound, when sei^^ed upon by tlie Jews. The priest, before putting on tho mample, kisse» the Ci'oss in the centre. And the chcmible, which is the last vostnifint whicli the priest uses, represents the seamless coat
17
of onr Saviour, and tlio purple rulw in which he was^Kstrayod.
Picture to youraclveH, if you can, the mockery of this acting. A priest parading at the head of a congregation of wor8hi[»p<!r8 who Buperstitiously helieve, th*t by his pujJjKJt acting lie is representing the crucitixtion of our blessed Kedeemer. Com- mon sense is outraged : and heathen rites are ao whit nioro offensive to the reason and piety of mankind.
" There are always lighted candles on the altar during the Mass." But why V Mass must be said in the fore-noon— w' i^'i the people do not want liglit ; and as the wafer-god haa HO eyes, he cannot require it. Why is the Mass celebrated in Latin ? The only reply to such a .juestion, is that given by an Irishman, — " Sure the Devil does not understand Latin.'* It is a fanciful and irrational ceremony. J. does not honour God, or afford just views of Ilira : it does not humble man, and show him his sin— it does not exhibit the atonement and sacrifice of Jesus ; and amounts to nothing but a niiiss of self-contradictions, and self-evident absurdities. If I am ask- ed, wherein is there a contradiction, I reply, that it consists in this— that while it is an axiom in Christianity that there can, be no remission without, the shedding of blood, (Heb. ix. 24,) the lioman Catholic maintains that in the unbloody sa- crifice of the Mass, Christ is daily offered. There cannot bo an unbloody sacrifice I There never was since the creation : there cannot be, unless a new revelation proclaimed that God coidd receive such a sacrifice. In the sufferings of Jesus, God's justice was satisfied. He was crushed beneath a load of insupportable sorrows, under which he bowed his head and died. Now, in the Mass, will it be pretended that the suffer- ings of the Redeemer are to be repeated, and that the events of Calvary are to be re-enacted. He is ever and ever, when the Mass is performed, to descend from the midst of his glory and suffer again 'i Where is the cross? Where is the true IxKly ? Where is the blood, and sighs, and tears? Without
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18
•ufToring there ib no iacrifico, ami honcc (ho Masi u a horrij blasphotny.
Atul lot UM horo enquire, when did tlio sncrificocif the Maw begin i I «l«»ll n(,t. in thi« pajHir. enter up,, a minute emjuiry m to the origin of thin grout err.vr. It will l« suffieiont if I ()en.on«trato (mm their own writings that thr) Hii^-iHct) of the Ma«8 did notjH^gm with C>'hrist and hii A^.^tles Thi« i» Buftcently evident. A great Cardinal. (]felln«HirH3.) and O.10 whoHO anthoritj no Rormm Catlrolio would feol diM,,o«.d to quenfon. a«.wort8. " the oblation which follows eoiw^ec^ution. U- InngH t(3 the irrtogrity of the Hacrifi..o. Un not to it« oHm-neo. IhiH 18 proved from U.e fa«t that (,ur Wd ar.i hin A,K>.stle* made no oblat:on at the beginning, "-that is. they offorod a wicnhee without offering anything. ]3ut as t}»e idea of a «acri- hce ,H always connected with an offering of some kind, it i« a palpable absurdity to argue that there can be a .acrifhx. with- out an offering. Such a doctri.K) bears its own refutation. Agam. obHcrve that Cardinal JJaronius ack,.,wlodges that the i.ucharist.cal sacrifice is an unwritten tradition, of which con- Hcquently, there is no mention made in the Gospel. And he condemns the Council of Trent, for its assumed infallibility by such an admission. Those refererK3es are of themselves suffi- cicn to satisfy this and every enlightened audience, that at whateyc^ time the sacrifice c^ the Mass K,g„n. it certainly did not begm with the Ai)ostolic ages-~but was the produ(> tion of later times.
Wc shall now proecci to ask, what can invalidate or render tfto sacrihce of the Mass nuoatory ?
There maj he defects in^he bread. If it be not wheat, or If It be in the le„st degreo tainted, it doth not make a sacri- fice If ,t be made of r,«e-wator it doth not make a sacrifice. If It begm to corrupt, it may make a sacrifice, but the priest sms grievously. "^
There limy Iw (MwXh in tlio wine. If the wino be «our,
then the Ha<!riflco In not lawful.
There may \m defects in the niini«ter. If hin intention
rt of the waforH, the others are nt»t fon.so-
lio
but
to eonyeerato uratod.
There niny bo flefeets in tlie celebration. If, after tho eonseeration, a gnat, or a 8|mler. or any Kuch thing fall into tho chalice, he will either draw it out and bum it, or Hwallow it with tho bhwMl, If in winter tho bl(Kxl Ikj frozen in tho cup, let wann water 1m» put round tho cup till it be thawed.
Tims, then, wo have briefly glanced at tho two tirsfc heads of the mibject, viz : I. the nature of Hacrifice ; and II. tho doctrine of tho niaK«, as held by the ('hureh of Uotno. Wo have Moen tho first to Ijo a Divine institution, ro!uiered needful by man's si- Tho * id wo have i)ereoived to l)0 a system of vast importance to tho human family. Ono which, if true, wo are bound to believe, as our salvation dc[M.'ndH thereon ; ]>ut which, if not true, is the foulest piece of invention ever fabled since the fable of Saturn, who fed on tho flesh of hii» children — a circunstanco not moro revolting than that wen should literally eat the Jlesh of their God.
III. It now becomes us, if you will give mo your attention for a little longer thue, to dwell ui^n tho refutation with which tho doctrine of the sacrifice of tho Ma.ss may be met, 1 pur!)o.so first, then, to draw attention to tho objections which arc to Ix) found in the Scriptures : secondly, to those objections which reason itself aflP^Ms against a doctrine so monstrous and un- meaning.
The first objection then, which the Scriptures pcscnt to tho doctrine of the Mass, is contained in the explicit decla- ration : " Christ by ^ne sacrifice made perfect all things."
Heb. vii. I know not by what line of argument a defender of the Papacy can possibly elude the face of that passage.
Tb«ro tit no MBtpe ; and no shift nor suhtorfu^ can av^'I. •' By OM nacnfico (.Mirijj^ |K'rfiM'ts them tbrovor who believe." Tiint Htatomcnt Hhoiild \h3 coriMiderod forever Nutficicnt. Tho ■inner m inforiti*"', l»y the PnitiiMtimt Proaehor, " By one offcrinj^ Chrixt hiw atoned for the HJnH of men." The PrioDi of Itiino telLs him, ** many offerings arc riM|uirod." If ho np|K!ulH to the Htiriptuies, the quoMtion i.s settled. [ d«»fy any Jloman Catholic to hIiow from these writingn, tltat the dtKttrine of a rrpeatm sacrifice is mentioned, or in any degree, by the Bacred writers, encouraged.
Another argument drawn from Sciipturo, agn.inst the ab- surd doctrine of a bUxxllesH 8ucrific«, may ')o foun«l in tho eoiisidoration of tho fact, that who. ever sacrifices are men- tioned, they at once invoKo the idea of tlie shedding of bl(M)d. Nothing can be plainer. Tho AposUo Paul's words are un- mistakeublo — " without tho shedding of blwKl there is no remission." But the ministers of tho Papal church main- tain, that tho mass is an unldoody sacrifice, in opfwsition to tho bloody sacrifice of tho cross. They would compel us to believe that a sacrifice wi-hout Uood is the same as one whore- in blood is shed ; and that the vital fluid flowing from the Saviour's side, is tho same as tho purple tide flowing through uui?!jiired veins — and that the torn body of Jesus on tho cross is the same as the wafer lying on tho table ! For this Queen 3Iary lit the fires of Smithfiold ! For this we Protes- tants arc given up by cx-communicution to tiro bitter pains of everlasting damnation I !
By these two plain Scriptures, then, the doctrine of the Mass is overthrown. 1st — By the words •' without the shedding of blood there is no remission ; " and 2nd — Christ " by one offering hath, perfected them forever that believe." And if it can be shown that there is no blood shed in the many offer- ings of the Mass, we have argued to a demonstration that the dwtrine of the Mass is unscriptural.
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And now wo auk, what do lif)manLiia bring forward to ioppirt their d<)ctrinoV The fact that Molehiawxloc lm)ugh6 forth bread and wino ti) Abraham, ha« l)cen 'Muce<l an cvi- douto for th« MaHM oblution. Thoy Hay ho rw a Pfieilr— that he offered brejul and wine ;— con. cHjuently every true priest inuHt uo likewine. iJut to this it ia objected, that thero i;i no pnjof tliat Mek:hize<loc'8 offering wtw wauritieial — it may havt boon an act of pure hospitality. And oven admitting that M.elchiziHloc did, in thi« bread and wino, offer sacrifice, it does not follow tliat the chriHtian miniHtry a«iceeedetl tliat of Melchizedec. And aibnitting for the argument'M sake that ehriMtian ministorH arc Huccusaor^ of Melchizedec, then does it follow that iMicause he offered up bread and wine, tliat there- fore they are to profess t) offer up the Ixwly and blood, the ao j1 and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ V Certainly not: oonsequontly the Romish Mass has no foundation in Scripture —but is violently antagonistic to the statements of the Divii.o Writings. They say, " lo ! Christ is here !*' And wo r«-c taught by Christ himself " to believe them not."
With this part jf our subject th^) doctrine of transubstan- tiation is connected. But that doctrine would of itself form the substancro of another lecture — and one wluch if tho present should find favor with my auditory, and no better writer take it up— I shall freely give. I say that a few words on transubstanti^tion would be here very appropriate. I may bo permitted to quote from tho Catechism of tho Church of Bome : —
Q. What is the Holy Euclmrist '(
A. It is a sacrament which contains the boJy, and blood, and soul, and divinity, of our Lord Jjsus Christ, urider tho appearance of bread and wine.
Q. What hapjKjns by the words of consecration ? A. Tho bread is changed into tho b(Hly of Jesus Christ — and the wine into his blcod 1 And wo find tho following
>)•)
canon nassca at the thirtccth session of the Council of Trent : «' Whosoever sliull deny that in the most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, tliero are truly, really and substantially contained the body and the bloml of our Lord Jesus Urist. together with his soul and divinity-and consc(iuently Christ entire, let him be accursed."
We may add a word in relati'.n to this dogma. It tollows that by the virtue of five words->Aoc est autem corpus meum, the bread and wine cease to be bread and wine, and becomo ilesh and blood, and soul and divinity. And I am held ac^ cursed forever by the Church of Home, if I will not believe a statement so monstrous! Well 1 I. have no wish to deny to Christ's church the jMiwer to excomnmnicate under proper circumstances; but under these circumstances it amounts to this, that Home has consigned the bodies of men to the hre, and their souls to hopeless perdition, for refusing to believe that which bears the self-evident marks of falsehood and con-
tradiction.
Time does not permit us to enter fully upon the argument against the doctrine of transubstantiation. But if it did, we should perceive it to consist in a statement such as this : " io the law and to tlic testimony, which is your own Protestant rule Christ hath said of the bread, this is my body, and therefore, such it ccrtainlv is, whatever our senses or reason may say to the contrary." I know not if there be a Roman Catholic Priest within these walls. Th-re may be. If so, he wir admit that I am putting the ciuestion fairly— and lie will also corroborate my assertion, than the argument before us they have nothing higher. i i.
But the facts are against them. For be it so, that the bread was substantiated into flesh, that was not Christ's own flesh which was eaten, but newly created flesh. But that which Christ took he broke— tliat which he broke he blessed —that which he blessed he distributed, and what he distri-
■M
2it
l-tol wan eaten. B„t bread ^-^^ broken l,y Christ-consc quontly ,t was bread an,l not flcsl, „bieh wa« eaten
The Priest in giving ti.e wafer says " ]Jel,„l,l the I.an,b of Go who takoth away the sins of n,en." The eonnnuniea:
ny roof He then shuts h,., eyes, and reeeives the wafer on h,s tongue, saying, •. A.nen - I believe it to be the b™ y Chnst-and I pray that it preserve my soul untoeter.ml life " And ,s,t possible that there are men in our midst who would uuroduee again such absurdities into our eountry" And these men, some of them, onee Protestant ! I resneei the honest man who ehangos for conseienee sake-but who can have «yn,pathy with a Judas ! a Julian ! or a Maturin ' It wa., siiid by David-" Thou wilt not leave my soul i„ hel -ne.ther wdt thou suffer thy Holy one to see eorruption." Hut ,f the doctnne of transubsta„ti,atio„ be true, His I«dv perpetually undergoes comiption.
Again-Christ says, •' the poor you have always with you, bu ,,„, you have not always." If tbe .,„ul, and body and d,vm,ty of Christ bo in the wafer, then it is „o true *at He ,., not always present. Ho is certainly always
ly. Lastly, we will turn to some of the logical absurdities which flow from the doctrine. Then let nfe enquire fio, what other infallible source can we derive knowledge hIT evulenee of our senses ? But our senses te,,t,ty, th^t after he words have been employed which tran.substantiate the bread nnd w„,e .„t„ flesh and blood, that they still remain bread ™a wme. The sigh,, the s,neU, the sense, the ..„e/ oncur ,„ thc,r testimony as to the fact that no change has
S tl2t '"'""""'' '" ''-' '"^^ ^''" -'"""^■•"'p'o
24
• K ^\..r nhsurditv wouUl flow from the admission of this Another ahsurdiyj ^^^^.^^ ^^^^^
'n'%ut rereVl^«^ ^he humanity of
exist. But here a j transubstantiation
ea.Uy .igU those say t^ J^ ^'-^ '^^J- ^^ ,„ ,,,,,.
■^^^r'cZwa: only a body in appea^nce. and was no
"Sthor ateurdity flowing from to admission of J.e doc
. !f fl.o Mass would be found in the conclusion, that upon trme of the Mass worn ^^^ _^^^^ j^^^„,l
Can any reasonable ^^^^^ f "'"/... ^^ ^, What? that Would Cardinal Wiseman himself defend it W although it has been sung in heaven, ^hen Jesus ascended on high, leading captivity captive—
'< Unfold your bars of living light, And let the King of Glory in ; He claims those rciilms us his right :
The victor over death and sm, —
1 «;«•? Ao-nin enf^age in the travail, ♦liot bo must descend again f Again ^Un"o .
iLi::andsweat,of the tree ofthecross^be.^^^^^ a«.,so often »-„ ,^^::::^;; J ^wl^ offended
Sr-ur: ntt r cZlved a greater absurdity. God .' ihtre reconcile so monstrous
llcason grows weary m the attempt w
1 o fl,n rp.il nresence at the sacrament.
a.e Fathers, so called are universally ^^fl^^ the real presence at the sacramont. Ignatius,
''
1
MMI
n
'
1 ^
I, )(1 a cd
us
lat
of
us-
25
tin Martyr, Origen, Clements, Cyprian, and Eusebius, unite in their testimony against the real bodily presence of Christ at the sacrament, and from the doctrine of his real bodily pre- sence. These venerable men all unite to contradict the pre- sent monstrous doctrines of the Church of Kome, as regards the real presence of the Redeemer in the sacrament of the Mass.
With what face dare a Roman priest assert that the test:- mony of the Fathers is in favor of the sacrifice of the Mass ? With the universal testimony of primeval ages against him. in vam-m vain can they claim the support of antiquity.
We are on the eve of a period in which the great drama of Rome must be wound up. Events are hastening to their consummation. The last act of the drama is about to take place— and very soon of Rome and her religion will it be said —she IS among the things which have passed away. Loner has she occupied the principal place of the earth. No poe't will embalm her in verse, as Byron baptized pagan Rome, when exclaiming —
" The Niobe of Nations," &c. The men are living to-day who will see the overthrow of the Papacy. And when she is gone, the nations will be a^^ain permitted to breathe with freedom. No one who hr.s gfven any degree of attention to the study of Fleming, or Dr. Clarke, can doubt but that the destiny of Rom^ is near. " When the fig tree putteth forth its leaves, then know ye that summer is nigh— even at the door." So with the fall of Babylon— she is near her end : she totters to her fall. And even now the cry is heard, - Come out of her my people, that ye be not partaker of her plagues."
I am not eloquent— but what though I am not ? The light of the sun, mellowed in glory and loveliness, may diffuselts richness over the dim blue mountains, and summer fields, and sparkling streams, when he himself is not visible. His li<rht is refracted from the opaque moon. So with the light of tlie 3
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26
long a-08 which aro gone, it may come rcfloctea through a» dark a medium as the soul which is now flashing over yours Bomc of the best thoughts of the Bef -mation. It n.atters Zt what bo the medium, so long as t! , ^at be shed abroad which shall inspire men to higher and hoher purpose, and
nobler performances. , 33
The fanner sows wheat ; it grows, it ripens, it is ««Fd. ""i is prepared for the miU. where it is ground, and sifted with a .ieve : with par*, thereof the fowU are fed-with a part man is Td-but that is not God. A part is brought forward and laid upon the altar-but yet it is not God : the priest handles and crossc. it. and yet it ia no God: he pronounces a few words orer it, ar.d immediately it becomes the Supreme Je- hovah. He fells down and prays to it. saying. "Thou art mv God:" he lifts it up before the people, a"* /ff*- .. Jfcce agnus M qui toUit rmndi peccaXi "-" Behold the Lamb of God who taketh a^ay the sins of the world : _ the whole eon^regation fall down and worship it. crying i Mea culpa, mea mcucima culpa ' '-" My fault, my great fault
Bv what right dare he assert this to be God, which yester- day v,as bread ? By what right dare he ezcommun.cate my »„ul iom the joys of heaven, bec."se I believe not a doctane so monstrous. By what right dare he demand that a Pro- testant should bow in the dust till the elevated host pass by ? God has not given that right. Man repudiates it ! and devils mock at it^whilst angels weep over such moral obhquity- and were it not that ho has forgotten to blush, the Priest hmi- self would be ashamed of a pretension so utterly baseless !
Yet, though mingling iu the dense purple clouds of her superstition, the twilight of the Church of Borne has pierced through the hazy ages which have passed away. To her are w« indebted for the preservation of the inspnred writmgs. But for her we had not received the experience which comes ftom other times. But her sua is veUed-and its beams, U
i
H'
r
a
e
i. JS if
27
thoy do not pierce to onr common Lumanity, are the scorching lightnings of a wron^ zoal-not the wannth-giving glow of f heavenly re hgmn. ff she shine.., it is with the^S of a meteor-not that of the sun. She strikes-but shf cn^hes the fnends of Jesus and the enemies but too freqSly escape. She smiles, but her smile as often falls upol vice llar:fT\ SI^o has beauty and power-butTis X Byron crtes-'' '^" ^"^^'^ ^" '^ '^' "^^^^^^^ ^^'^
" Save he who made him, Who ever was like Lucifer !"
Her power— it is the power of Apollo Belvidere— if wc could m^agine Apollo BeWere. in all his unearthW lovel ness and power, sightless and erring. Every element of beauty and power is embodied in that glorious fom-Sool we more near y and the eyes are walting-the strong and
but Rome, too, is blmd. She has eyes, which are sightless.
^.^fj'"''''!'''' *^^ ^''^"^°^' "^y *^^ '^ '^^^ne. I have endea- vored to redeem my promise of showing the nature of a eacrifice, the doctrine of the Ma.s, and the^bjections which riay be urged agamst that doctrine. I am conscious that T have very imperfectly discharged my work : buT " he 1^ wel who does h., best/' I have endeavored to do the besTl could. I may have offended 3ome whose apprehensions are keen of expecatmg Rome. But to them I would jursay- our quarrel with the Papacy is irreconcilable : it ii a war of utter death to one religion or the other. Between God and Satan, Christ and anti-Christ, can be no harmony-there can never be but war untU one or the other be destroyed.
And m closing, allow me to say that I rejoice at the form-
ithl ^? ^Tv^'f ' A»i^^^^- Accused as that institS has been of politi sal motives, it is nevertheless the offspring of Protestantism and religion. I trust that the institution Will still continue. It h linked with all that is ^and and glorious m history. We boast our connection wkh H^ with Jerome, with Luther, with Melancthon, with Cranm^^ with Knox, with Latimer, with McBride, with Chalmei-s, with
iiiilftllfr'
28
Cumming ; and although the destruction of the Alliance has been threatened, yet we say :
•' Sail on !
'Tis but the flap;)ing of the sail,
And not tlie rent in ado by tlio gale.
Despite of false lights on the shore,
The breakers dasli, the tenii)est8 roar ;
Despite the rooks beneath our lea.
Our faith triumphant, all our fears,
Our hopes, our expectations, tears, ^^
Are all with Thee ! are all with Thee l !
I shall close by quoting from Pollock's inimitable and im- mortal " Course of Time,^' the apostrophe to Rome :—
«« As yd had sung the scarlet-colored ivhore, Who on the heart of civil power reposed Her harlot head— the Church a harlot then, When first she wedded civil power. And drank the blood of martyred saints ;
Whoso priests were lords, Whose coffers held the gold of every land, Who held the cups of all pollutions full, Who with a double horn the people pu«hed, And raised her forehead full of blasphemy Above the Holy God, usurping oft Jehovah's incommunicable names = , , . . The nations had been dark, the Jews had pmcd, Scattered without a name beneath the curse ; War had abounded : Satan reigned unchmned And earth had still been black with moral gloom. And now the cry of men went up Before the Lord, and to remembrance came The tears of all His saints— their tears and groans. Wise men had read the number of the name ; The prophet years had rolled— the time, and times. And half a time, were now complete. The seven fierce vials of the wrath oi God, Poured by seven angels strong, were shed abroad Upon the earth, and emptied to the dregs. And lo ! another angel stood m heaven. And cried aloud with mighty voice— ' Fallen, tailen. Fallen is Babylon the great, to rise no more ; Rejoice, ye prophets, over her rejoice ; Apostles, holy men, all saints rejoice, ^ _ And glor/ give to God and to tlio Lamb. ^^ And all the earth and heaven said, Amen !
Mr. Chairman, my task is done. May the God cf the Reformation be our God forever.
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